Measuring valve



Jan. 1, 1946. R. WEDEERG MEASURING VALVE Filed June 15, 1942 Patented Jan. 1, 1946 MEASURING VALVE Reuben Wedeberg,

Chicago, Ill., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Virginia Application June 15, 1942, Serial No. 447,193

8 Claims.

My invention relates to measuring valves and more particularly to measuring Valves for centralized lubricating systems wherein a plurality of bearings are supplied with lubricant from a common source and the amount of lubricant supplied to each bearing is accurately measured to correspond to the needs of that bearing.

An object of my invention is to provide a measuring valve which accurately measures the quantity of lubricant supplied. thereby to its bearing, but which is subjected to only Ysmall pressure differential across the metering element.

Another object of my invention is to provide a measuring valve which will accurately measure the quantities of lubricant supplied thereby, even though the metering element fits loosely in the chamber in which it moves and even though the lubricant is supplied to the bearing under high pressure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved measuring valve which can be cheaply and quickly made by mass production methods.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a lubricating system embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of a measuring valve made according to my invention and is taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that IV have illustrated therein a lubricant compressor I mounted on a drum I2 of grease, oil or other suitable lubricant and having an inlet I4 extending down into the lubricant in the drum I2. The pump I0 may be of any suitable construction and may be either manually or power driven. This pump serves to withdraw lubricant from the drum or container I2 and forces it under pressure through a discharge conduit I6 leading to a four-way valve I8.

My new and improved measuring valve is designed for use in a dual line type of lubricating system and the valve I8 is adapted to connect the discharge conduit I6 alternately with lines 20 and 22 leading to the several measuring valves located in the block 24 and connected in parallel to these lines. The valve I8 is illustrated as being provided with a handle 26 for shifting the valve from one position to another, but in lieu of the manually operated valve shown in the drawing, timed power driven valves may be substituted since such valves are commonly used in dual line types of lubricating systems.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the valve I8 connects the discharge conduit I6 with the line 20 so that lubricant discharged under pressure from the pump I0 creates a pressure in the longitudinal passageway 26A extending lengthwise of the block 24 and constituting an extension or continuation of the line 20. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the passageway 20A extends through plugs 28 which are screwed into the side of block 24 and each of which has a valve inlet port 3'0 communicating with passageway 20A and line 20. Each port 3D communicates with a cylindrical chamber 32 containing a piston 34 slidable therein.

The piston 34 comprises tubular members 36 and 38 threadedly secured together. The tubular member 36 has a passageway 40 therethrough and a ball valve 42 is normally held in a position closing this passageway 46 by a spring 44 coniined between the members 36 and 38. The tubular member 36 has a tapered end 46 functioning as a valve to close the inlet port 30 when the piston is in the position shown in Fig. 2. The tubular member 38 has a tapered end 48 acting as a valve to close an outlet port 50 when the piston 34 is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2'.-

This tubular member 38 has a passageway 52 therethrough and in communication with the passageway 40.

Lubricant forced through the inlet 30 moves piston 34 to the left, asviewed in Fig. 2, and causes the tapered end 48 to close outlet 50. Thereafter lubricant forced through the inlet 30 passes through passageway 40, displaces valve 42 and passes out of passageway 52 into the lefthand end of cylinder 32. This lubricant then flows through bores 54 and 56 to the righthand end of metering chamber 58. If the piston is in its righthand position with tapered end 62 closing bore 56, the piston 6o is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2 with tapered end 64 closing bore 66.

During this leftward movement of piston 60, any lubricant located in chamber 58 to the left of the piston 6I] would be forced through bores 66, 68 and 'i0 to cylinder 12 which contains a piston 34A identical with the piston 34 heretofore described. The discharge of lubricant from the metering chamber would cause piston 34A to move from the position shown in Fig. 2 t'o a position where the tapered end 46A of this piston would close the port 30A in plug 28A and thereafter all lubricant discharged from' metering their cylinders 32. These pistons are light and well lubricated so that they offer little resistance to movement and a slight pressure differential suices. Because of the small resistance offered by the check Valve 42, there is no appreciable pressure differential across the piston adjacent the inlet line while lubricant is flowing to the fbearing.

While-I`have.illustratedfand described only a single embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that my invention may assume nushifting valve handle 26 from-the Yfull linej position to the dotted line position. shown:in Fig. 111 and again operating the lubricant compressor ID. This shifting of valve I8 connectsdischargeconduit I6 with line 22 and forces lubricantthroug'h inlet ports 38A into cylinders 12. Pistons 34A in these cylinders then shift to the right to assume the position showny in'Fig. Zand lubricant thenows through these pistons Vvand through ybores "I0, 168and '66 into lthe lefthand en'd of metering 'chambertSS, jthereby "moving piston" 6D to" the rright and 'discharging from chamber 58 'the lubricant Ylocated tothe'right of the 'piston therein.

i The lubricantT discharged, fromA the righthand ends of themetering Lchambers "58 flows through bores and 54 to the lefthandendsof 'cylindrical f chamber 3 2 and -shifts piston 3 'to the 'positionshown inFig. 2, `whereupon*the"`lubri- -cant Vdischarged from the metering :chambers may "flow through outlets '58, ducts E6 and through the 'several Vpipes"`l8,84, 8B andf88to the bearings connected therewith. During this operation valve I8 connectsline20 with return pipe-82 so that anylubricant displacedbyrightwardsmovement ofthe pistons 34 can return A'to lubricantl drum I2.'

r`While VI have illustratedtlie particularlubri- 'eating systemdescribed herein ashaving a block orcasting Z4 containing a `plurality of-measur ling-valves, such an arrangement is" optional and ifpreferredeach measuringvalve `may 'be sepa- -rate "and independent 'of 'all 'other measuring valves. *It -is toibe 'noted that'the pistons "34iand -3 4Aare identical'arrdthat theplugs Y A'2 8 andfZSQA yare likewise identical,L therebyreducingthe number of'dierent parts. Theilefthandeen'd' ofmetering chamber 58 is closed by a screwjplug gthreaded intothe; olockdv and this-plug lcontains -the bores t(wand-58. The --arrangement of the bores or f other passageways ein the block *24 is simple and these --passageways -may be `easily formed' by-coniventional methods.

M"Arry important feature 1of=my invention lies 'in theffactthatthe pistonED may have--a're latively loosefit in 'the metering chamber A58- without' impairing the accuracy of my measuring-valveysince the pressure differential- Aacross this piston'dduring' its movement from one end l of {themetering chamber to the f other --eridJ thereof 'need only-'be merousother forms and that the scope of my invention is defined in the following claims.

IlA claim: lrAfmeasuring 1valve of the class described scomprisinga pair of cylinders having outlet ends,

conduit means connecting an outlet end of one cylinder with an outlet end of the other cylinder .andfwith a bearing requiring lubrication, an inlet for each cylinder, pistonsreciprocable independently of each other in saidcylinders, a me- 'tering'fchamben means connectingeach end of said f metering chamber to an outlet end of .one

`ofsaid cylinders, a piston inA said metering chamber, a passageway through each of said firstnamed pistons, and a-check valve'in each passageway.

2. A measuring Vvalve comprising a pair yof 'aligned cylinders, an outlet passageway connecting-adjacent ends of said vcylinders and adapted to be connected to abearing requiring lubrication, a lubricant'inlet for the opposite end ofeach of lsaidfcylinders, a-piston vreciprocable in each of Y means connectingveachof said ports with'theoutsuflicient to overcome the inertia and frictional g resistance ofthe piston. --Since this piston-is light and moves in Y a well llubricated Icliarrllo'eiy 'itsl inertia and frictional resistance are eX-tremeiy low-andE therev -is no appreciable tendency' to V'leak pastthe`r pistonf- `as' it moves-'f1'omonefextreme of `itsstroke tofthe other extreme.

"Ihecheck valvesf'Z in-the pistons-34 im'1d134A arepreferably1 under light spring tension, 'since the-"onlyfpurposeof these check-valves-is tojhu'ild up -a vsufficient pressure differential on fopposite sides fof -these pistons to v `cause f them ltofslide` in let end of one of said cylinders, a pistonfreely movable in said metering'chamberbetween said ports, and means carried' by saidlast'-named pis ton for closing each of said ports.

A measuring valvecomprisingiwpair offcylinders, a-n outlet-passageway connectingiadjacent ends of said cylindersand adapted to bejconnectedto'a-bearingrequiring lubrication, aflubricantinlet-for the Vopposite `gend of :eachof.sai' d cylinders, a piston' freely' reciprocablein each of said` cylinders; a valved; passageway through :each of said-'pistonspermitting lubricantowjfrom its cylinderinlet through` the piston toward'the outlet rend jof 'said `cylinder but preventing `reverse flow oflubricant through saidV passageway, means provided by; eachjpistonffor sealing 'the inlet'for its cylinder, -means provided by each piston'for sealing the -outlet -for its f cylinder, ya cylindrical metering Achamber -`having an -axis parallel with the-axis of -said Y' cylinders-a port at' each end4 of said metering chamber, conduit'means-connecting each offsaidiportsswithftheoutlet end o'f one off,said-;cylinders,-;a piston :freelyamovable inrsaid metering;.chamberghetween:said:.ports,.and:means carried bygsaidlastenamedpistonforclosingnach of saidports.

4. :AA measuringvalve Ycomprising a plurality of cylinders, afnnutletpassageway connecting adj acent ends of ,said .cylinders and .adapted togbe connected .to ai bearing requiring lubrication,.a lubricant inlet 'f or 'the opposite end. of each` of said "cylinders, .a piston 'Vreciprocable in each of saidI cylinders; a valvedpassageway through each of said pistons permitting lubricant now from its cylinder inlet through the piston toward the outlet end of said cylinder, but preventing reverse flow of lubricant through said passageway, means provided by each piston for sealing the inlet for its cylinder, means provided by each piston for sealing the outlet for its cylinder, a cylindrical metering chamber, a port at each end of said metering chamber, conduit means connecting each of said ports with the outlet e-nd of one of said cylinders, a piston movable in said metering chamber between said ports, and means carried by said last-named piston for closing each o said ports.

5. A measuring valve comprising a pair of aligned cylinders, a-n outlet passageway connecting adjacent ends of said cylinders and adapted to be connected to a bearing requiring lubrication, a lubricant inlet for the opposite end of each of said cylinders, a piston reciprocable in each of said cylinders, a bypass for each of said pistons, means responsive to movement of each piston for sealing the inlet and outlet for its cylinder, a metering chamber, a port at each end of said metering chamber, conduit means connecting each of said ports with the outlet end of one of said cylinders, a piston movable in said metering chamber between said ports, and means responsive to movement of said last-named piston for closing each of said ports.

6. A measuring valve of the class described, comprising a pair of cylinders having outlet ends, a passageway connecting an outlet end of one cylinder with an outlet end of the other cylinder, conduit means connecting said passageway to a bearing requiring lubrication, an inlet for each cylinder, a piston reciprocable in each cylinder, a metering chamber, means connecting each end of said metering chamber to an outlet end of one of said cylinders, a passageway through each of said pistons, a check valve in each of said piston passageways opening toward the outlet end of said cylinder, and means in said metering chamber adapted to stop the feed of lubricant through said pistons by cutting oi communication between said metering chamber and one of said cylinders,

7. A measuring valve of the class described, comprising a pair of cylinders having outlet ends, a passageway connecting an outlet end of .one cylinder with an outlet end of the other cylinder and having an outlet adapted to be connected to a bearing, an inlet for each cylinder, a piston reciprocable in each cylinder, a metering chamber, means connecting each end of said metering chamber to an outlet end of one of said cylinders, a passageway through each of said pistons, a check valve in each of said piston passage- Ways opening toward the outlet end oi the cylinder, and means comprising a piston in said metering chamber adapted to stop the feed of lubricant through said first named pistons by cutting oi communication between said metering chamber and one of said cylinders.

8. A measuring valve of the class described, comprising a pair of cylinders having outlet ends, a passageway connecting an outlet end of one cylinder with an outlet end of the other cylinder, conduit means connecting said passageway to a bearing requiring lubrication, an inlet for each cylinder, a piston freely reciprocable in each cylinder, a metering chamber, means connecting each end of said valve chamber to an outlet end of one of said cylinders, a valved passageway through each of said pistons, a piston freely reciprocable in said metering chamber, and valve means carried by said last named piston adapted to stop the feed of lubricant through said rst named pistons by closing o communication between said metering chamber and one of said cylinders.

REUBEN WEDEBERG. 

